Depends on who is deserving of mercy and whether or not it refers to compassion or a rapid dispatch. Leniency is not mercy, and oftentimes punishment is mercy. This verse, along with Hebrews 4:12 applies to all humanity, not just me and not just those who presume themselves teachers of the Word.
Remember what Jesus used to drive merchants out of the Temple on the Sabbath?
Yes, and remember just above how Isaiah clarified? Apparently the animals were chased out — not people beaten. Scripture cannot contradict itself.
You put bitter for sweet and keep on doing it even when called on it.
And nobody can “deserve” mercy, buster. Right away that puts you on the wrong wavelength with respect to God. You’ve been hoping to “deserve” it. The age old folly of Eden. Knowledge of good and evil, it dances at your call. Rather than at the call of God. “I will have mercy upon whom I will have mercy.” No deserving there: only a policy. Even if you HATE the policy like Jonah did with respect to Nineveh (and he took a trip in a fish to prove how determined God was).
It is a universal free offer; just approach Him with the attitude that you accept it for His purposes of restoration and return, and it is yours. It parallels grace.
What you will not get mercy or grace from, is Satan. And God will definitely, if not with gladness, turn you over to Satan if you insist on getting on the wrong wavelength. You may even sound like Satan’s spokesman before this process is over. But you will rue it in the end, once you come to your senses. (IF you do.)
Now I wonder in a way why I bother. Well if you don’t get the point, someone else might. Like the Proverbs say: flog a mocker, and the simple will learn wisdom. (”Hey, if this happens to mockers, maybe I had better not go any further in that direction.”) Doesn’t say anything about the mocker learning wisdom, by the way. Just the simple.
I've heard that NO one is.